Albany, N.Y. – (3/26/13) –Senator Greg Ball (R,C,I-Patterson) is pleased to announce that Mount Pleasant Central School District and Valhalla Union Free School District will both receive across the board state funding increases, above and beyond the Governor’s original proposals.

Both Mount Pleasant and Valhalla School Districts were facing steep cuts in the Governor’s proposed budget, and the schools were preparing for the worst. However, after a great effort to restore the funding, Senator Greg Ball is now happy to announce that both schools will actually see a large restoration.

Mount Pleasant will receive 13.93% more than the Governor originally proposed and Valhalla will receive a whopping 25.28% more than the Governor originally proposed in his Executive Budget.

“These are great schools with thousands of professionals and students doing their very best each day. It is important, even during these tough economic times, to raise the bar on education and I am proud to have worked to deliver for these schools. Honestly, the Governor’s original proposed aid formulas would have been devastating, especially for my new constituents in Mt. Pleasant and Valhalla,” said Senator Greg Ball. “I am happy to say that we not only restored the cuts but that we increased funding across the board from last year. This aid means dozens of teaching positions saved and countless programs and learning opportunities preserved. We cannot balance the budget on the backs of our students, and this aid restoration ensures years of continued education excellence.”

“Education is our important investment in our future. It should not be a partisan issue. I was pleased to work with Senator Greg Ball in restoring and enhancing state aid and to our local schools,” said Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti.

Mt. Pleasant will receive $4,580,652 in state funding; a $224,708 or 5.16% increase from last year. Valhalla Union Free School District will receive $3,916,749 in state funding; a $176,532 or 4.72% increase from last year.

“We couldn’t be happier that this money has been restored. Kudos to Senator Greg Ball for his hard work to make this a reality. I am excited to let our community know that this funding will allow us to avoid significant cuts and continue to offer top-notch programs and services to our students district wide,” said Dr. Guiney, Superintendent of the Mount Pleasant Central School District.

“We are so grateful that this funding has been restored. This helps us to maintain quality learning opportunities for our students and decreases the tax burden on our community. I am sincerely grateful for Senator Ball’s tireless work to restore this funding and his ongoing commitment to public education,” said Dr. Myers, Superintendent of the Valhalla Union Free School District.

For more information, please contact Joe Bachmeier at (845) 200 9716.

###

About Greg Ball

Assemblyman Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson) is the Senator for New York State's 40th district. A former Vice President of Exceed International Development Corporation, Ball holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the United States Air Force Academy, is currently completing his Masters Thesis of Liberal Studies in International Affairs at Georgetown University, and received an honorable discharge in 2005 at the rank of Captain after service as an active duty officer in the United States Air Force.
View all posts by Greg Ball →
This entry was posted in Press Releases. Bookmark the permalink.